Collapsible top



E. G. SIMPSON Nov. 14, 19 44.

COLLAPSIBLE TOP Filed Aug. 29, 1941 Emory 6/4/70 BY;

lryvENToR. $017,050

Patented Nov. 14, 1944 I I 1;;

TED TATES PATENT F COIIIIAPSIBLE Tor f EmoryGlenn Simpson, Detroit, Micln, a ssignorf I v "to GeneralMotors Corporation, Detroit, Mi ch.,' a corporation of Delaware v A I Application August29, 1941, Serial Nb. 408.707 I 4 Claims. ((1296-1 17) This' invention relates to a collapsible vehicle top and more particularly --to a poweroperated collapsible vehicle top. I v

Oneof the difiiculties' heretofore presentin power operated collapsible tops isthat theydo not open or close smoothly or with auniform speed, but rather operate with ajerky, non-lime form motion or speed. .4 I f It is the object of-this invention to produce a collapsibletop for an automotive vehicle body that will open morequickly, smoothly and with a'more'uniform motionthan collapsible vehicle tops heretoforeknown. 1 -.The drawing is a fragmentary side elevation of'a vehiclebody with theouter panel and top cover cut away in vertical longitudinal section to show the collapsible b'ow construction.

1 This top is an improvement onthat shown in my prior Patent No. 2,221,460. v 1 7 Referring more particularly to the .drawing there is shown a vehicle body I of the convertible coupe typehaving a door 2 hinged at its for-' ward edge (not shown). The top comprises a main bow 3 of U shape which extends completely across the :body and is pivoted at each end to the body as at 4.' An auxiliary how is pivoted to the main bow as at 6. Cant rails I are supported on themain bow by links 8 and levers 9 pivoted to the main bow as at I0.

Lever 9 is pivotally connected toone end of the control link II as at I2. link II is pivotally connected as at I3 to lever I4. Lever I4 is pivotally supported on the body as at I5. The lower end of bow 3 takes the form of a gear segment I6. The pivotally supported end of lever I4 also takes the form of a gear segment I! which is continuously in mesh with gear seg- The other end of fixed pivotal-connection 29 on the body. The thrust link 21 is pivotally connected to the bow 3 asat-30.-

The above top is identical with that shown in my prior Patent No. 2,221,460 except that in my prior patent the lower end of control link II was pivoted by means of a fixed pivot to the body and lever I4 with intermeshing gears I6 and I! were absent.- Thus, it will be seen that as the top is motors each in the form of a cylinder 22 pivoted ally connected to a lever 26 and thrust link 21 as at 28. The lower end of the lever 26 has a raised from its lowered position (dotted line showing) to itsraised position (full line showing) levers I4 on each side of the body rotate clockwise I (as viewed in the drawing) about pivots I5 so that pivots I3 swing or travel in an arcuate path downwardly andforwardly of the body. As the levers. I4 swingclockwise they act through control links I I andlevers 9 to open the top while at the same time'the entire ,top is being swung upwardly about pivots 4. This shifting of the pivots I3 downwardly and forwardly about this arcuate path acts through the control links II and levers 9 to cause the top to open more rapidly, more smoothly and with more uniform motion than heretofore possible.

In raising this type of top the action is such that the top will move smoothly and the rail I8 will settle gently but rapidly on to the front top rail (not shown). In lowering the top the lever I4 will swing counterclockwise (as viewed in the drawing) from the full line position to the dotted line position, thereby causing pivot I3 at thelower end of control link I Ito move rearwardly and upwardly, all of which acts through lever -9 to effect a quick and smooth collapsing of the top into the dotted'line position in well 2|.

It is, of course, appreciated that the control links, levers, air motor and other such parts are duplicated on each side of the top bow construction. The power of the air motor 22 is applied through connecting rod 25, thrust link 21 and lever 26 to the bow'3 to raise and lower the same. As the bow 3 swings upwardly, gear segment I6 rotates counterclockwise; thereby rotating gear segment I1 and lever clockwise. In lowering the top the bow 3 and gear segment I 6 swings clockwise thus swinging gear segment I! and lever I4 counterclockwise which producesjthe result above described.

I claim:

1. In a collapsible top for an automotive vehicle, the combination of a main bow pivotally supported on the vehicle, a cant rail, a link pivotally connected at one end to the cant rail and the other end to the how, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the main bow, a pivotal connection between one end of the lever and the cant rail whereby the cant rail is supported on the main bow by said lever and link, a control link pivotally connected to the other end of said lever for controlling the action of the lever and cant rail as the top raises or lowers, a second lever pivotally supported by means of a fixed pivot on the vehicle body adjacent the pivoted end of the main bow, a pivotal connection between said second lever and control link, and means for swinging the said second lever downwardly and forwardly of the body as the top rises whereby the pivotal connection between the control link andsecond lever travels in an arcuate path..

2. In a collapsible top for automotive vehicle, the combination of a main bow pivotally supported on the vehicle, a cant rail, a link pivotally connected at one end to the cant rail and the other end to the bow, alever pivoted intermediate its ends to the main bow, a pivotal connection between one end of the leverand the cant rail whereby the cant rail is supported on the main bow by said lever and link, a control link pivotally connected to the other end of said lever for controlling the action of the lever and cant rail as the top rises or lowers, a toothed member supported adjacent the pivoted end of the main bow and rotated in the raising and lowering of the main bow, a lever pivotally mounted to the body, a toothed member connected to said lever and in mesh with the aforementioned toothed member, a pivotal connection between the con-.

ported n the main bow, a pivotal connection between the cant rail and one end of the lever, a control link pivotally connected to the other end of the lever for controlling the action of the lever as the top rises and lowers, a gear member rotatable about the pivot for the main bow and connected to the main bow, a second lever pivotally supported on the body, a gear connected to the. second lever in mesh with the gear connected to the bow, a pivotal connection between the second lever and the control link positioned so that in the raising of the top the meshed gears swing the second lever and move the pivotal connection between the second lever and control link downwardly and forwardly of the body.

4. In a collapsible top for an automotive vehicle, the combination of a main bow pivotally supported on the vehicle, a cant rail, a link pivotally connected at one end to the cant rail and the other end to the bow, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the main bow and below the connection between the above said link and bow when the top is raised, a pivotal connection between one end of the leverand the cant rail whereby the cant rail is supported on the main how by said lever and link, a control link pivotally connected to the other end of said lever for controlling the action of the lever and cant rail as thetop rises or lowers, a toothed member supported adjacent the pivoted end of the main bow and rotated in the raising and lowering of the main how, a second lever pivotally mounted to the body with a fixed pivot, a toothed member connected to said second lever and in mesh with the aforementioned toothed member, a pivotal connection between the control link and the said second lever whereby in the raising of the top the upward pivoting of the main bow acts throughthe meshed elements and second lever to swing the pivotal support for the control link downwardly and forwardly of the body in an arcuate path.

EMORY GLENN SIMPSON. 

